Manama, Mar 27 (BNA): HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and President of Bahrain Olympic Committee stressed that achieving success requires courage to begin taking serious steps towards personal aspirations. He added that the youth are born with equal opportunities and it is their choice to determine what they will become in society.
This came during the speech of HH Shaikh Nasser at the opening ceremony of the 8th International Youth Conference "Success before Thirty" organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs and attended by ministers, senior state officials, parliamentarians, diplomats and around 1,600 participants from 32 countries.

HH Shaikh Nasser welcomed the visiting participants to Bahrain, stressing that the Kingdom warmly greeted and gathered pioneering youth motivators to share their success stories with them. He added that personal traits should include readiness to embrace new forward-looking steps and serious commitment to action in order to confront challenges with confidence and deal positively with all matters.

HH Shaikh Nasser spoke about his personal experiences in the military, humanitarian, charity, youth and athletic fields, and stressed how he managed to overcome challenges with determination and persistence.

"Nothing is impossible. A great leader would stand once again in case he or she falls," he said. "The road to success is full of obstacles, but a person with a vision and a goal will continue no matter what. Do your best and you will reap what you sow in the future. Use your energy to build yourself as a strong person."

HH Shaikh Nasser revealed that he opted for the challenges in the triathlon despite its difficulty "as it teaches bravery and taking quick and serious decisions, in addition to boosting positive thinking." He added that one of the main factors of success is finding a positive and motivating environment.

The ceremony had begun with the Bahraini National Anthem, followed by a recitation of verses of the Holy Quran and a short clip about the previous editions of the conference.

Another inspiring video displayed during the ceremony showed the success experience of American speaker Todd Huston, who made an exceptional achievement by climbing 50 mountain tops across the United States of America, despite having an amputated leg. Huston achievement was featured in the Guinness world records.

Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs Hisham Al-Jowder, in his speech, highlighted the support and care provided by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to the youth and sports movements. He also underlined the interest of HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, as well as HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

The minister pointed out the recent call of the General Secretary of the United Nations Ban Ki Moon to consider the youth as a priority in the developmental schemes of nations as they form the majority of the world’s population.

HH Shaikh Nasser presented mementos to the organisers and sponsors of the conference in appreciation of their efforts.

The minister presented a gift to HH Shaikh Nasser for his generous patronage of the event.

Todd Huston will in the first session on Monday morning speak about determination and success, while the second session will feature Kuwaiti author Yousif Al-Hajeri who will speak about writing and technology. The final session of the day will discuss positive thinking and finding solutions. It will be presented by David Edward Garcia.